Today was interesting. For the first time, I cried over someone who I didn't even know, and it wasn't in a movie. At least not in the conventional sense.

I am in a media ethics course, and we did group projects and presentations. We did case studies in which we identified an ethical dilemma in the media, and presented the problem and discussed it using ethical models. Our group, for example, chose the Dan Rather/CBS/Bush Documents incident. Another group chose what happened at SABC (South African Broadcasting Channel).

I'm sure that you all read or heard about the man, Eugene Armstrong, who was beheaded by insurgents, and his beheading was taped and put online. SABC received the link, and broadcast the beheading on their nightly news show. The posted a disclaimer before showing the 2 minute long video with full sound. They received, for good reason, numerous complaints and fines.

In order for the class to fully understand the case, the group who presented it chose to show the video. They posted a disclaimer and told us all what we would see if we chose to stay in the room. I decided to stay. This video was the most horrific thing that I have ever seen. I really cannot put it into words.

In my short 20 years, I have been fortunate enough to not have had to deal with much death in my life. My grandmother, my best friend's grandmother, my friend's dad, my favorite teacher and a classmate are the only people who I have ever known who have died. And today, in my class, I watched this poor man's moment of death.

The visuals were barbaric and disgusting, but I could continue to watch them. The worst part was the sound. I had to cover my ears because I could not bare to hear this man suffer the way he did. It was horrible.

To prove to you how much it disturbed me, I couldn't talk for the rest of class. And if you know me, and my tendency to be chatty, that means a lot. This video is just floating around on the internet, and being played on the nightly news.

I think that today may have been the first time that I truly realized that there are awful people in this world. There are people filled with hate and passion, and they take action. September 11th, 2001 was a tragedy. The day we lost the shuttle Columbus was sad. But this goes beyond and below human decency and dignity. It is sickening to think of.